


A Legendary Tale

by StellarSeptem



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Non-Binary Chara, Nothing too extreme but still present., Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Suicidal Ideation, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21676123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StellarSeptem/pseuds/StellarSeptem
Summary: A mostly light-hearted crossover fic I concocted while trying to write something Undertale related. This does involve topics touched on in Undertale though, so be prepared for that. It can get a bit intense.The premise is simple, Undertale mixed in with the Pokemon world. Expect things to primarily focus on the cast of Undertale. I'm going to hopefully throw in some pokemon characters as well, but to a more limited extent.This will be a decently long story if all goes well.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Legends say...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara discovers a mountain kingdom.
> 
> Things ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Chara is the central character in this story. I don't subscribe to the ridiculous theories that claim them to be evil or whatever. 
> 
> This first chapter took me an absurd amount of time to complete. It used to actually be the second chapter before I reworked it into its current form.
> 
> It is probably a bit off in the pacing department.

This cave would work well enough, they thought to themself. They had considered starting a fire, but that might attract the attention of nearby pokemon this close to the entrance. As such, the human resolved to do so later. It would be less conspicuous a little further in. Enough wind passed through that smoke inhalation would not likely be a problem. Though they were hardly concerned with the possibility, it would be a little anti-climactic. They had climbed this mountain for a reason. Wandering around with the constant worry of being recognized took its toll. They were never going back to that awful place. If avoiding that meant walking into some den of murderous creatures and never returning, then that is what they’d do.

Searching through their backpack, they pull out a phone. It lacks service of any kind since they simply used it to browse the internet. An easy way to learn new things or read when your backpack can only hold a finite amount of books. Right now, they needed its light function. Activating said functionality, they brightened up the dark cave to make travel within possible. They soon moved further inward and left the mouth of the cave behind with their light source in hand. While marveling at the structure of the cave ceiling, they noticed the floor was now a little wet. This came too late though. Their distraction prevented them from noticing a hole. Unwittingly stepping on its edge, they slipped into it as a result of the wetness combined with the smooth rock floor. The tumbling fall was thankfully short though, resulting in no injury. It was still a little painful and quite startling. Brushing themself off, they quickly find their phone. Like them, it is undamaged despite the fall being rougher for it. They are thankful the light stayed on and made it easier to find after being dropped in the fall. Now peering further into the cave, they noticed something strange. There appears to be a second light source deeper within it. This drove them to investigate. They moved with purpose toward the mysterious light, walking to what seemed to be an exit. The cave tunnel seemed to grow colder as they drew near it. They were soon lead into a large underground area whose very existence baffled them. Looking above, they saw crystals that provided light to the entirety of this huge cavern. They seemed to mimic the stars in the night sky. It also was snowing despite this place being underground. It made little sense, so they were immediately curious about all the possibilities of how and why this place existed.

Newly invigorated by the discovery of this strange wintery place, Chara sets out to explore what lies below. Though standing on a cliff-like edge of the wall, they manage to find a safe way down. There are several locations with more gradual inclines along it. These provide what seems to be the only non-fatal way to descend. They carefully navigate many of them as they traverse the cliff. Fortunate enough to not run into anything impossibly steep, they eventually arrive at what they assume to be the cave floor. It is blanketed in a moderate covering of snow. Nothing so deep as to hinder movement greatly, but certainly enough to conceal the surface of the cave.

A fairly dense forest is also present in this sunless area. This fact interests Chara far more than the oddity that the snow represents. Such things would surely die in an environment without sunlight. At least, they should under normal conditions. Curiosity at the source of the trees survival begins to drive them to explore with more enthusiasm. What could it be? Some kind of pokemon was Chara’s guess. Perhaps even a powerful legendary pokemon was responsible. After all, this seemed to be a tall order for regular ones despite their many incredible abilities. The thought of any potential threat posed by the extremely rare creatures was not one of their concerns at this point. They wanted to find the source of these occurrences no matter where it lead. Not like they had any reason to return to the surface anyway. This was always intended as a one way trip.

Further resolved, they move onward through the underground, wintery forest landscape. Snow crumpled underfoot in the usual fashion as they did so. The journey was largely monotonous for a time, but they would entertain themself by examining the trees along said trek. These trees appeared to all be conifers, Chara did not notice any other kind whilst moving along. Of course, this was the same conclusion they had reached from their formerly higher position. Being on the ground floor merely confirmed it. Conifers did make the most sense to thrive in this snowy, cold place, but it was rather strange that only one species seemed to live here. The mountain exterior was home to many different kinds of them, but the underground possessed only this singular example. They supposed it was just another bizarre happening in this subterranean realm.

While pondering that thought, they came across something completely unexpected. It was a large purple door attached to a far largely wall of the same color. This was clearly some kind of entrance to another part of the cavern. Additionally, it had to have been built by someone. This things don’t just form naturally. If there is a building, there had to be somebody to build it. That meant people might very well be here or have been here in the past. The fact made Chara deeply uncomfortable even if this place was still fascinating to them. They hoped to not be unfortunate enough to meet said people. One positive of this scenario was that the structure seemed to be quite old. Chara wished for that to also mean abandoned, so that their attempts at discovery would go undisturbed. Curious at what lies beyond the door, they pulled on that which looked to be a handle. Nothing happened as a result. They try again, mustering as much force as they are able. This fails as well. Said pattern repeats with multiple attempts. The door absolutely refuses to budge in spite of their efforts. They ultimately decide to stop wasting time on it after a while. Their curiosity would sadly go unsated. No longer distracted, it dawns on them that they have gotten rather cold during this adventure. They begin to realize that they are shivering from the rather icy temperature. They sigh in annoyance at the condition as they walk away from the mystery door.

Seeing a pretty large branch on the ground ahead, they jumped onto it in an attempt to break it in two. It was hoped that this would produce a satisfying snap. That is not what happened. Instead, the branch only bent somewhat and subsequently caused them to fall over into the snow due to imbalance. The fall was forward in direction, so their face became firmly planted in the snow. This clumsy turn of events only served to turn their mild irritation to anger. They forcefully stood back up from their fall. The previously calm pace was changed to a brisk one. This frustration was short-lived though. Chara came across another thing which pointed to the existence of people down here. A strange little bridge that ran across a gap in the cave floor. The bridge had some kind of fence-like structure surrounding it. This seemed to be more recent than the door. The wood from which the bridge had been constructed was in good condition. That would not likely be the case in this had been left behind decades or centuries ago. Now Chara’s brief rage at their fall was replaced by dread. They really didn’t like the idea of this place having been created by other people.

That worry soon began to cause them to wonder if it could be the monsters that made this bridge and the door instead. Most stories described them as unthinking, violent creatures forever in search of human souls. That didn’t seem like the sort of being that would create such things. Chara imagined that the mindless versions from the tales would merely be roaming about like predators. Perhaps the stories just exaggerated a lot. Humans were good at that. With their new theory in mind, they walked over the bridge without trouble. This lead to a slightly wider area along the path that contained more examples of civilization. An extremely out of place lamp and what looked like some kind of vendor station. Chara also realized that there had been a path flattened out in the snow along their way. It lead from the door, to here, and evidently onward. They approached the station to see if anything worth investigating could be found within. Nothing is notable about it really, but Chara finds it odd that condiments are simply left inside unattended. Among these are ketchup, mustard, and relish. If these are monsters, they must have somehow got access to these things. Chara ignores the unpleasant possibility of human ownership. To confirm the contents of a condiment container, they grab one and then squeeze it. Truthfully, they also did this for their own amusement. The expected result occurs and ketchup erupts from the bottle, landing upon the snow. The color contrast is mildly captivating despite the fairly banal happening. This distraction is cut short before long though. A loud voice bellows out from someone behind them.

“SORRY TO DISAPPOINT YOU, BUT THE SNOW CAN’T DRINK KETCHUP. SANS IS USUALLY THE ONE WHO DOES THAT.”

The volume of the voice and them not expecting it to be there startled Chara quite visibly. The ketchup bottle fumbled out of their hands as they turned around mid sentence. Turning to face the skeleton just as he finished his statement. Operating purely on instinct fueled by adrenaline, they reached for their knife. Now facing the skeletal being in a defensive posture and their hand around the blades handle. This all happened before they even had time to process what was in front of them. A living skeleton. Mostly likely one of the mythical creatures that they had just been thinking about. Monsters to be precise. Perhaps it was time for their soul to be devoured once this monster noticed they were human.

The skeleton was very much aware of their frightened appearance as he looked on. Defusing the situation seemed to be a priority. They looked terrified, after all. He thought briefly about the right thing to say before settling on a final utterance.

“I DID NOT MEAN TO ALARM YOU. IT IS FINE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO TALK. I TALK A LOT, BUT NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE ME. SORRY FOR INTRUDING UPON YOUR SILENCE.”

Chara begins to relax as Papryus speaks. This is mostly out of sheer confusion. He is clearly acting rather friendly and kind, not something they were expecting. Though it was possible the skeleton somehow didn’t recognize them as human and would act appropriately afterward. It all was too much for them to care about. They took their hand off the knife, watching as the skeleton began to walk away. They stepped forward a bit, then spoke to him before he had the chance to leave.

“Wait!”

They said more eagerly than intended. The excitement of potentially learning more about monsters got the better of them in that instant.

“I just didn’t hear you approach. You weren’t really intruding...that much.”

The first sentence was firmly stated, but by the second their voice grew weaker.

The response relieved Papyrus considerably. He had worried that this interaction had entirely been a total blunder. Still, he was pretty sure that spooking others was generally not acceptable outside of particular times. So he thought that bit of unintended rudeness yet demanded recompense. To serve this end, he formulated another one of his many brilliant plans. This monster had probably never visited Snowdin before. He had never heard his fellow town residents mention them after all. The place was small enough that any passing traveler would be considered note-worthy. As such, it could now be his task to introduce them to the town and all its inhabitants. Unless they didn't wish to go there, but Papyrus was really hoping that wouldn't be the case. Looking at the now somewhat timid teen, he voiced this wonderful idea.

“IN THAT CASE, I HAVE A IDEA. WE CAN GO TO SNOWDIN. NO TALKING NECESSARY ON YOUR PART. ME AND MY BROTHER LIVE THERE.”

Chara gave a brief response to the suggestion.

“Okay.”

After this, Papryus began to continue speaking.

This skeleton was oddly fixiated on popularity, Chara thought as Papryrus talked on. The inherent absurdity of his mere existence just washed over them without further examination. Any threat they had once believed him to pose was proven to be non-existent. At least for the moment. He was obnoxiously friendly almost to the point of abrasiveness. All after just a brief exchange with him. Following the end of this train of thinking, they soon became aware that they had just missed a decent chunk of his speaking. Hopefully he hadn't said anything too important.

“I THINK THAT IS EVERYONE LIVING IN TOWN. YOU DON’T HAVE TO MEET THEM. VISITING THE TOWN IS THE ONLY ‘REQUIREMENT’. BUT EVEN THAT IS NOT FULLY REQUIRED. IT IS LIKE A CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BOOK, BUT NOT CONFINED TO WORDS ON A PAGE.”

The skeleton gave his best reassuring smile despite his own creeping sense of nervousness. Chara was rather unmoved by the attempt, but still decided to follow along. Learning something about the monsters would be nice. He did say that he wouldn't make them meet anyone if that was their wish. Oddly considerate. It worked far better than the smile. They offered up a meek response to his plan.

“I guess we can.”

Their voice was but a pitiful shadow of Papyrus booming vocals. Like before, it wavered due to uncertainty in the current situation. After all, there were plenty of reasons to worry about what might happen to them in the monsters domain. The fact that they weren't great about speaking to others only worsened matters.

“HOW WONDERFUL!”

Papyrus exclaimed, his voice regaining its exuberant confidence once more. This kid needed a confident guide. Papyrus couldn't let his own doubts cause him to fail someone in need. He would not be anything less than great.

“LET US BEGIN!”

The skeleton marched forward, inviting Chara to follow along. They obliged him and did just that. Their path surprisingly did not cause them to run into any other monsters, but they soon encountered one a puzzle which Papryrus had crafted. It was in an inactive state, meaning one could easily walk through without needing to solve it. The sight made Papryrus curious about how much his new acquaintance liked puzzles. Naturally, he inquired about the subject.

“I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT MY BRILLIANT PUZZLES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TEST THIS ONE? IT IS A PROMISING PROTOTYPE.”

Though completing puzzles was certainly within their range of interests, Chara was not exactly up to doing that at the moment. The temperature was really starting to get to them. Their hands and feet grew numb. The cold stung in areas that had not yet become unfeeling. As they voiced a reply, the involuntary act of shivering caused them to stutter.

“N-not right now. I’m k-kind of cold.”

This was an understatement, as they had been getting progressively colder their entire time underground. It wasn’t exactly life-threatening for now, but it would get worse if not resolved. Thankfully though, Papryrus took quick notice of this after their answer. The fact that he missed it beforehand caused him a decent amount of quiet embarrassment.

“YOU ARE INDEED QUITE FROSTY. I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT NOTICING SOONER. TAKE THIS.”

In his excitement to greet a new monster, he had failed to notice their negative response to the cold. After all, not all monster have fur or are skeletons. With a proper apology issued, he took steps to make things warmer for them. He quickly pulled off the scarf he was wearing and handed it to Chara.

“T-thank you.”

They wrapped the scarf around their neck securely. It wasn’t perfect, but it was warmer than without it. The kindness this monster displayed only made them think more about what would happen once they were found out. There was no way that every monster what clueless about what a human looked like. When they met one, this little adventure would be over.

“LET US CONTINUE ON.”

The two did just that, wandering past the occasional monster. None seemed to bother them though, they all were doing other things. They probably also thought Chara was merely another monster. They did consider that this might all be a trick meant to trap them, but they hardly cared.

“AT LAST, WE’VE REACHED SNOWDIN!” Papyrus exclaimed.

The group had just walked over a wooden bridge which was far too long and narrow for Chara’s comfort. The trip across was fairly stressful. Upon entry to the town, they were greeted by a large sign reading:

‘WELCOME TO SNOWDIN’

Most of the sign’s text was red, but the town name was given special treatment in the form of the color blue. Colored lights adorned the left and right edges of the sign, giving it some degree of luminance. It was certainly the most cheerful looking sign of its kind that Chara had seen. Passing it by, they entered the town itself. Two buildings labeled “Shop” and “Inn” were immediately noticeable. Upon examination though, Chara realized that they were connected. They supposed it was just two businesses run out of the same building. While they considered that, Papyrus interrupted their thoughts with his speech.

“I THINK THE TOUR SHOULD WAIT. YOUR CHEEKS HAVE BECOME EVEN REDDER THAN WHEN WE MET. YOU SHOULD REST.”

The first thought Chara had was to go to the inn, but they didn’t have anything to pay for said visit.

“W-where?” They asked, still shivering from the abrasive cold.

“SIMPLE. YOU CAN REST AT MY FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT. MY HOUSE!”

He delivered the answer with enthusiasm. Chara found his phrasing odd. He didn’t really say it like a joke as would be expected. However, that seem to be par for the course with him. He had been talking about things that way since they met him. Maybe it was monster thing, though that certainly made them seem less intimidating. They decided that this was probably the best option. They lacked money and he was not likely to hurt them so long as he was unaware of their human status.

“FOLLOW ME. ” He continued.

They complied, following the skeleton to his home. Notable landmarks along the way were a presumed restaurant called “Grillby’s” and library with a misspelled sign. The trip is short, as they are soon outside Papyrus’s house. He opens the door to invite them in. As they make their way inside, the rush of comparative warmth is a welcome relief. Their numbed extremities are still in the previous state. A warm blanket would likely solve that though. Chara walks toward the couch present in what appears to be a living room. They remove their backpack and sit it beside the couch. They then sit down on the piece of furniture, which serves as a respite for their weary legs. Papryus reaches behind the couch and pulls out a blanket. He hands it to them. Naturally, they quickly wrap themselves within it. As they do so, Papryus delivers an anecdote.

“I KEEP THIS FOR WHEN SANS SLEEPS ON THE COUCH. WHICH HAPPENS A LOT.”

Sans was the name he had mention earlier, when Chara first met him. It made them curious about this person who he was clearly close to in some way. They couldn’t let the question go unanswered.

“Who is Sans?”

They asked. Papyrus was swift to acknowledge the query.

“I FORGOT TO MENTION. SANS IS MY BROTHER. HE LIKES SCIENCE FICTION AND DOING NOTHING.”

It was a suitable response, enough to satisfy their curiosity. They guessed that more questions could be asked when they got up. Presuming that they ever actually did.

“That makes sense.”

They laid down on the couch, resting their head comfortably on the pillow already present. Papyrus said something, but they did not hear it after having closed their eyes. Soon enough, they passed out from the exhaustion of the day. The sleep ended up being very restful, though they awoke with momentary confusion at their location. This passed quickly as they remembered what happened and relaxed. They look around at the various things in the house. These included the large TV, a book on a small nearby table, and a larger table presumably for dining. Looking up, they saw a painting of a bone and a room whose door glowed strangely from within. Chara did not care to question it at this point. Lastly, they read the labels on what was clearly the room in which Papyrus resided. They said:

‘NO GIRLS ALLOWED!

NO BOYS ALLOWED!

PAPYRUS ALLOWED.’

That must have meant that they were clear to enter.

Following their visual tour of the room, they heard voices from outside the door. Only then did they realize that Papyrus was not inside. One of the voices was his, so he had not gone far. There was another though. This person sounded like they were around Chara’s age. Removing their blanket, they stood up to approach the door. They moved close in order to eavesdrop on the conversation outside.

“MY NEW ACQUAINTANCE IS RESTING WITHIN. I WOULD PREFER YOU NOT GO INSIDE. THEY LOOKED VERY TIRED. I’M STANDING GUARD SO THEY ARE NOT DISTURBED.”

“So there is a new monster in Snowdin? I’d like to meet them later. Oh! Did they have any pokemon?”

“NO. I DON’T THINK THEY ARE A TRAINER.”

The other voice sighs, clearly hoping for a different answer.

“That’s disappointing. I’ll visit you later to see if they change their mind.”

The other voice was now more distant, seemingly moving away.

“Bye!”

“SEE YOU SOON.”

With that, they moved away from the door to avoid being caught. They started to advance toward the kitchen when Papyrus entered to check up on them. His voice stopped them in their tracks. They turned to face him as he spoke.

“I’M GLAD TO SEE YOU WELL. YOU JUST MISSED A CHANCE TO MEET ONE OF MY FRIENDS THOUGH.”

Despite the words, there was no trace of disappoint in his voice.

“Who was that?” They asked, genuinely curious about the unknown voice.

“THAT WAS ASRIEL. WE FREQUENTLY DISCUSS POKEMON BATTLE STRATEGIES.”

Apparently monsters participated in pokemon battles as well. Chara didn’t care much for them. Being a trainer meant encountering way too many people. That got in the way of their attempts to avoid others whenever possible. Honestly, they were doing that very poorly at the moment. Befriending a monster was not really one of their goals for this trip.

“SHOULD WE PROPERLY BEGIN THE TOUR NOW?”

They had intended to take him up on his offer of a tour, but began to wonder about what was beyond this town. Perhaps they could find something more interesting outside it.

“Can we tour anywhere else?”

Chara was worried the question might upset the skeleton, but that turn out to be unfounded. Instead, he considered the question quite seriously. He put his hand upon his chin in thought briefly before giving a retort.

“WHAT PLACE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TOUR? I’VE BEEN THROUGHOUT THE UNDERGROUND. WELL, EXCEPT FOR THE RUINS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT WATERFALL, HOTLANDS, OR NEW HOME?”

Chara found the first two locations intriguing, but had no clue about the third. Unsure of which option to pick, they choose a fourth one.

“What about all of them?”

The concept surprises Papyrus, but he finds to be an excellent suggestion.

“OF COURSE. THAT IS CLEARLY THE BEST CHOICE. BUT FIRST, YOU MUST PREPARE FOR THE JOURNEY.”

He reaches behind the couch again to pull out a blue jacket. He then hands it to Chara. They start to put it on, but are stopped when he speaks again.

“YOU WON’T NEED THAT WHERE WE ARE GOING. STORE IT IN YOUR PHONE.”

Chara had absolutely no clue what that meant.

“I...can’t.” They said, pulling the device out of the nearby backpack while being thoroughly confused.

“OH. YOU MUST HAVE AN OLDER MODEL. ALPHYS CAN FIX THAT. I’LL STORE IT FOR YOU.”

With that statement, he pressed some menus on his phone and the jacket suddenly disappeared. This only confounded them further, but they worried that questioning it would give them away.

“OUR FIRST STOP WILL BE WATERFALL.”

He opened the door to leave with Chara in tow. They both walk past the shed near the home without a comment from the human regarding it. The air grows misty as they enter the outskirts of Snowdin. It is mildly alarming to Chara, but is gone before they can say anything. The walk after that is without incident. They feel the air get gradually warmer and the snow fade away. Before long, the environment has drastically changed to something quite unlike Snowdin. It was certainly befitting of a place called ‘Waterfall’. It was damp, water was everywhere, and glowing crystals had formed occasionally on various surfaces.

“HERE WE ARE. AS YOU CAN SEE, WATERFALL IS FAIRLY CLOSE TO SNOWDIN. LIKE A NEIGHBOR. ONE YOU RARELY TALK TO IN MY CASE. I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT.”

“You don’t go here very often?” Chara asked.

“OH, I DO VISIT A LOT. MY FRIEND UNDYNE LIVES HERE. I JUST DON’T CARE MUCH ABOUT THE NON-UNDYNE PARTS OF WATERFALL.”

The answer was worded in the manner Chara had grown to expect by now.

Papyrus moves the tour along shortly after that. They both run into another stand like the one near where they first met. Oddly, it is covered in snow as well. More than that, it appears to also be almost identical in every other aspect. Chara wants to investigate and determine just how similar it is to the other one. However, they think that it would be quite rude to interrupt the tour to do so. This unwillingness to stop the tour is almost immediately abandoned after they set their eyes on something else nearby though. A brightly glowing blue flower. They quickly run over to it, eagerly beginning to inspect it. The plant was unlike anything that they had seen before. It had the same magical quality that so many things down here possessed.

The sudden change in direction from Chara causes Papyrus to stop in his tracks and turn around. He sees them looking at the flower, realizing that this seeming distraction actually works well for his little tour. He supposed that they had never learned much about Waterfall since those things were everywhere within its confines. They must have come from the ruins. That was why they wanted a tour of the rest of the Underground rather than merely one region. He was happy to help in this regard.

“OH. YOU MUST NOT HAVE SEEN AN ECHO FLOWER BEFORE. THEY REPEAT WHAT YOU SAY TO THEM.”

The fact that he caught on their admittedly obvious lack of knowledge due to their excitement about the magical flowers worried them just a bit. Of course, the fascination with the strange plant mostly overrode that worry. The explanation he provided about these ‘Echo Flowers’ was interesting enough. They decided to test this trait themself.

“Repeat this.” Chara said while close to the flower.

“Repeat this.” It replied in a perfect copy of their voice.

“EXACTLY LIKE I SAID. BE CAREFUL THOUGH. THEY CAN BE RATHER ANNOYING AT TIMES. JUST DON’T YELL AT A GROUP OF THEM LIKE I DID ONCE. IT WAS NOT FUN.”

Papyrus was correct, they did indeed repeat any sounds as he had stated. Also, the prospect of yelling at multiple echo flowers definitely sounded unpleasant to them. They considered trying to take the plant with them somehow, but realized that it was pointless without a place to put it. Their journey wasn’t likely to last, so no point in acquiring one. They turned back to Papyrus and said.

“Let’s move on.”

He gladly obliged and the tour moved forward once more. The two crossed some flowing water that ended in yet another waterfall in the next room. This room then lead into a place containing more plant growth, this time some kind of tall grass. Chara approaches the patch of strange grass to get a better look at it. Presuming it to be safe due lack of movement within, they enter the grass patch. Disappointingly, its only special property seemed to be its blueish color. As hoped, it lacks pokemon as well. Now fully immersed in it, they ignored what sound like a phone ringing. Papryrus must have got a call. They soon heard him answer.

“HELLO UNDYNE.”

They heard a muffled, but clearly loud voice coming from the other end. Made sense that a friend of his would have a similar lack of volume control, they thought. He continued on.

“OH. I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF GIVING A TOUR TO SOME MONSTER FROM THE RUINS. THEY DON’T KNOW MUCH OUTSIDE OF IT.”

Laughed could be faintly heard from the phone. This Undyne person must have found something about that funny.

“I POSSESS EXCELLENT NAVIGATIONAL ABILITIES. I WILL NOT TOLERATE SUCH SLANDER FROM YOU.”

Undyne’s indistinct voice carried on for a short while.

“I AM CURRENTLY STANDING NEAR WHERE I MEET YOU AFTER A PATROL. BY THE GRASS PATCH UNDERNEATH THAT SPOT.”

The conversation must have end after that, because Papyrus stopped speaking. Chara began to return to him in order to possibly ask about Undyne. Before they had made much progress, a loud impact upon the ground was heard. The sound of clanking metal accompanied it. Soon after, a voice that easily rivaled Papyrus excited tone erupted.

“Found you! So where is your new friend?!”

The weight carried by the words spoken made it clear these two knew each other quite well. No one speaks like that to a relative stranger. A reply was soon issued by their would-be tour guide.

“THEY ARE IN THE TALL GRASS. I THINK THEY LIKE PLANTS.”

Undyne quickly followed up on his statement.

“What is so great about plants? Not that I dislike them or anything.”

She said, seemingly giving some consideration to that thought before speaking again.

“Don’t worry! I won’t judge your interests. Come on out! Any friend of Papyrus is a friend of mine.”

Chara really doubted that those words would hold up well if they were recognized as human. Given what the evident sound of heavy armor implied, she would likely be the type to do just that. Having little choice in the matter, they did as asked. Slowly stepping out of the grass, they saw Undyne in all her glory. She was some kind of fish monster sporting sharp teeth and wearing some kind of custom plate armor. In other words, she was one of the coolest looking beings Chara had ever seen. A shame they could not get a look at her helmet. They likely never would, as their instincts were soon proven right. Her expression contorted to express surprise. She then turned to Papyrus and immediately voiced this realization.

“Your friend is a human, Papyrus! How did you not notice?!”

The skeleton swiftly defends himself.

“I HAD MY SUSPICIONS, BUT IT IS RUDE TO JUST ASK IF SOMEONE IF A HUMAN!”

Undyne just sighs in response to this remark before continuing.

“Whatever. The King and Queen will want to see them. I’ll let them off easy since they’re just a kid and haven’t hurt you, but they’re still a human. Just be more careful next time.”

This seems to disappoint Papyrus a bit.

“THERE GOES MY WONDERFUL TOUR. CAN I GO WITH YOU?”

She answers after thinking it over for a moment.

“Fine. Asgore likes it when you visit anyway.”

During their entire exchange, Chara has remained frozen in uncertainty over what action to take. A part of them says to run, but another wishes to merely accept their fate. In the end, it seems the decision is made for them. Undyne walks over to them, issuing a command.

“Come with me, human. Papyrus will go with us since you seem to be friendly enough. What is your name?”

They stay silent long enough for an uncomfortable pause to develop before answering the question.

“Chara.”

Undyne is almost surprised after they finally speak up.

“I’m Undyne. We can’t just let you wander around. Follow me.”

Undyne then begins to march on to Snowdin town with Papyrus and Chara close behind. She speaks to some of the monsters in town along the way, but remains brief each time. Some of them tell her to give their warm regards to the royal family. All of them seem generally happy to see her. Chara imagines that she must have some kind of role as a guard, protecting the denizens of this place. After this trip continues on for a bit, they all arrive at the intended destination. A river flows on nearby with a boat docked at the shore. It is occupied by a single individual who seem to be waiting for someone to approach. The person talks once they get close enough.

“Tra la la. Care for a ride?”

They question, calmly awaiting a reply.

“Yeah. Take us to Hotland.” Undyne answers.

She then steps into the boat, the other two soon repeat this action. After becoming certain that everyone is aboard, the pilot of the small vessel sets off. This is followed by an acknowledgment of that fact.

“And we’re off...”

Their travel time is suprisingly quite brief. It is quiet aside from the humming of the river-person. They end up reaching the place known as Hotland quite swiftly. Chara is taken aback by the sudden, drastic change in temperature upon entering the region. The group collectively step out of the river ferry, starting to walk away. As they did, the operator spoke once more.

“Come again some time. Tra la la.”

They quickly moved on, leaving the boat and its operator behind. The heat in this place was barely tolerable for Chara. Evidently, Undyne felt the same given her visible discomfort being here. At a minor crossroads of sorts, Undyne turned toward the path with a huge building. A towering laboratory stood before the group, blocking this particular passageway. The structure was surprisingly distinct from everything else that Chara had seen in the underground. It reminded them of something from a science-fiction story. This was in stark contrast to the whimsical fantasy elements found elsewhere.  
  
Undyne approached the door serving as the structures entrance. It opened automatically for her, so she casually walked right in as though invited. Papyrus and Chara trailed behind.

"Alphys! You'll never guess what Papyrus found."

But no response came.

"Alphys?!"

She sighed, disappointment clear from her disgruntled expression. This carried through to the tone of her voice as well.

"I guess she's not here right now."

She soon reverts back to her previous manner with the following sentence.

"Oh well! I'm sure she won't mind us using the shortcut. Just keep following me."

They all move to a door on the other end of the laboratory. It seems to be an elevator.

"We just have go through this creepy old lab. I can't believe he still uses it."

Papyrus offers a contrary perspective.

"I FIND IT VERY ATMOSPHERIC."

"Whatever you think, it's still the fastest way to get to Asgore's place. Come on." She adds.

Chara remains silent, having little interest in joining this discussion. Undyne enters the elevator and Papyrus follows along. Chara hesitates briefly before doing the same. A button on the elevators control panel is pressed by Undyne, causing the elevator to hum as it enters operation. An awkward silence prevails on the way down. The door opens after this and the group exits into a dimly lit area. Looking around, Chara can see why someone might find the place eerie. They walk through it with the two monsters. It has the appearance of a place that was abandoned for a long time. However, the use of it as a shortcut and the active lights suggest otherwise. After traversing a couple of hallways, they come across a room. It contains a vending machine and strange door with four differently colored lights upon it. Undyne opens the door, revealing another elevator within. She enters, gesturing for Papyrus and Chara to do the same. They comply as Chara examines the two alternate paths that flank each side of the door, wondering what lies beyond. Their curiosity stirs even more so after they hear noises in that general direction. It is not to be though. The door closes behind them and Undyne sets the elevator on its course.

Yet another change of scenery occurs, they have entered what is presumably the capital. Their vision is bathed in sterile grey.

"We're almost to the castle, human."

Undyne proclaimed with a mild sense of importance. This spurred Chara to ask a question.

"What are they going to do with me?" They inquired.

"No idea. This hasn't happened before." She answered plainly, to Chara's slight dissatisfaction.

The party marched forward to the castle at a moderate pace. That dull grey was everywhere here. Even in the large city below them. It was quite the sight to witness such a thing inside this massive cavern. The grand nature of the display more than made up for the lack of color. The city was out of view before long though. They now entered a hallway which lead into another chamber. This one resembled a front yard in the vaguest sense. At least, the yard of a rather wealthy individual or family. A lone tree stood in front of the house to which this "yard" was attached. A surprisingly modest looking tree for an apparent royal family. Chara supposed it fit well enough with the rest of this places aesthetic.

Undyne knocked loudly on the door to the home while Papryus stayed near Chara a small distance away.

"It's the head of the royal guard, Undyne! We have a bit of a...situation."

Following her statement, shuffling could be heard behind the door. Soon enough, the knob was turning and the door opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of clarity, this Chara is older than the one in canon at around 14. They found the underground later than in Undertale itself. That is one of many differences present in this crossover world. Try to note them all.
> 
> Also, I kind of just wanted to write a slightly older Chara.
> 
> [I'm going to use this end note section to lay out the comment rules as well.]
> 
> 1\. Refer to characters by canon pronouns. (This means you only use they/them on Chara for example.)  
> 2\. Don't complain that I don't follow the evil Chara theory or other similar obnoxiously pervasive fandom ideas.  
> 3\. Be polite. I'm not going to tolerate assholes.
> 
> [I might add more if I see a need for it.]
> 
> [EDIT: I have loosened the restrictions on comments for now. Don't make me regret it.]


	2. My name is...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne brings the human to the queen.
> 
> The Dreemurrs get a new house guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this prologue is slow-going, the next chapter is where more pokemon stuff begins to actually happen.
> 
> I hope you still enjoy these first two chapters despite that.

  
Standing in the open doorway was a large, bipedal goat-like monster. She addressed Undyne now that a door no longer stood between them.  
  
"What is this situation?"  
  
Undyne was quick to respond.  
  
"Well, we found a..."  
  
She is interrupted before she can finish.  
  
"A human."  
  
Toriel says suddenly out of a mild sense of shock. She did not expect to see the human child standing beside Asriel's skeletal friend.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Undyne adds, a bit surprised by the sudden interjection.

She then steps to the side in order to allow Toriel to pass. The boss monster closes the distance to meet the human with a measured pace to avoid startling them. Chara remains in position, largely unmoved by the presence of such comparatively large being. They were only made uncomfortable by the prospect of having to speak with her. Unfortunately for them, that exact thing was about to happen.  
  
"Greetings, child. May I ask your name?" Toriel said softly, but clearly.  
  
Silence ruled for a brief time while Chara carefully processed the statement as though it were a complex equation. Calculations complete and the riddle solved, they finally managed to craft a reply.  
  
"Chara." They say quietly. Their gaze remains fixed upon the symbol on her robes as they speak. As this happens, they wonder about its meaning.  
  
The answer is heard by the monster despite its low volume. She detects the discomfort in their response, carefully considering how to respond. Her experience with Asriel might not translate well to this kid. After all, he was quite vocal when it came to discomfort. She offers a light smile before she talks again to the human.  
  
"I am Toriel. It is good to meet you, Chara."  
  
Though mostly unimpressed by the statement, Chara supposes it is better than just being thrown in a dungeon. However, that still wasn't out of the question by their estimation. They continue to stay quiet as Toriel seemingly looks them over. She interrupts this.  
  
"Undyne was not rough with you, was she? She is not overly fond of humans."  
  
That made two of them. Undyne begins to voice an objection, but quickly stops herself before doing so. Toriel's words were not exactly unfair. Following that, Chara responded rather firmly.  
  
"No. She just escorted me here."  
  
They easily believed the idea that Undyne could have treated them more harshly, but she hadn't in this case. The real question was why this Toriel person cared at all. It seemed pretty clear that something had caused humans and monsters to mistrust one another. They were beginning to suspect that the human side of the story was largely fabricated. The version of it told in the village anyway.  
  
“I am glad. Her passion can get the better of her sometimes." She continued before pausing briefly to think. "Would you like to come into our home for now? Asgore needs to be made aware of your presence. But do not worry, no harm will befall you. I will make certain of that." The conviction in her last sentence is plainly evident. There was no mistake that she truly meant it.  
  
"Okay." That was the only response that Chara could muster the will to summon.  
  
"Then let is all go inside. It should not be long before Asgore returns. We can discuss this further at that time." Toriel announces, speaking to everyone present.  
  
They all walk into the house together as instructed. Undyne enters first on account of being closest to the door. Chara trails behind everybody, deliberately slowing their pace. The group enters the living room and each take a seat where available. Toriel positions herself in a comfortable chair near the currently unlit fireplace. The others each find a spot at the dining table. Papyrus sits in the middle seat, Chara on the end with a wall behind it, and Undyne opposite them. Toriel then shifts her chair to face the dining table so that they may all speak to each other more easily. It is Undyne who takes advantage of this first.  
  
"Where is Asgore anyway?" She inquires.  
  
"He is with Asriel. A merchant in New Home recently acquired some kind of human game that Asriel wanted." Toriel answered.  
  
This talk of games reminded Chara of the mobile console they had for time. After...acquiring it, they regularly played the lone game that came with it in the package. After accumulating an absurd amount of playtime, the console was destroyed in a pokemon attack. They couldn't even salvage the game cartridge because of that pokemons continued presence in the area. They had admonished themself for not paying enough attention to their surroundings at the time. Their singular focus on the game caused them to lose it. The games available on their phone were insufficient as replacements.  
  
"Sounds cool. I hope me and Papyrus can play too. I'll beat him eventually, but Asriel’s winning streak in that fighting game was getting old." Undyne says in response.  
  
Toriel chuckles lightly. "You will get to see soon enough. It will not be long before they return. In fact, I should call Asgore to warn him of this."  
  
With that, she pulls a phone out of a pocket on her robes. Pressing a few buttons and pressing it against her head, she begins to speak.  
  
"I must warn you of something before you get home. There is a human here. Undyne found them with Papyrus. Both are present here as well." The voice on the other end speaks before Toriel continues. "Yes. They are just a teenager. Their name is Chara. Make certain Asriel does not get too excitable. I will see you shortly." She hangs up, returning the device to its previous spot inside the pocket.

The boss monster talking about Chara in such a manner made them uncomfortable. This situation felt out of their control. They consider their options, but ultimately decide that staying is worthwhile if only for the sake of curiosity. As they sit alone with their thoughts, the others continue to converse about happenings since the last time they met one another. Undyne and Papyrus mostly dominate these conversations, but Toriel chimes in on occasion. She also turns her attention to Chara at various points as well. Evidently seeking to check up on them or something of the sort. The human keeps to themself throughout these exchanges. They have no interest in joining the others. This chatter continues on for a short time before it is finally interrupted by the sound of a door opening.

“That must be them.” Toriel states plainly, getting up out of her chair.

She walks near the edge of the room to greet the arriving king and prince. In that time, the two move at a roughly equivalent speed and soon meet her at that space. The king now looms nearby her alongside the prince. Both of them greet her silently before turning their attention to the sole human present in the room.

Asgore ends the brief interlude of quiet. “It was almost hard to believe, but it is true.”

He carefully makes his way over to Chara. They immediately notice just how huge he is in comparison to them. Toriel was similarly imposing, but the armor he wears makes him stand out even more. It was easy to see how monsters like him and the skeletons would have been feared. Humans often don’t look past initial appearances. Despite this, he had a comforting presence as his demeanor seemed to betray no malice. His first words to them only reinforce that feeling.

“It is nice to meet you. You may call me Asgore.” A warm smile graced his features as he spoke.

This did nothing of note to dissolve their apprehension. They were still cautious about everything which was occurring. Even so, they decided to oblige these people to the best of their ability. Finding a route to some manner of doom was considerably more difficult now. Monster apparently weren’t soul-sucking killers, so that plan fell short. They might as well try to indulge their curiosity about monsterkind for now. The question was where to begin. Fortunately, they decided to start small with a currently relevant inquiry.

“You’re their king?” Their voice carried a fair bit more confidence than it had before in voicing this question.

Asgore had little reason to delay his response and promptly replied. “Yes. Me and my wife rule over the kingdom of monsters together.”

It was rather obvious at this point, but it felt good to have it definitively answered. Now they could move on to other more important topics.

“What are you going to do with me?” Chara asked in an unintentionally accusatory manner. They wished they could restate it without that potential implication, but it was too late now.

Asgore did not take any offense though, only seeking to assuage their concerns. Keeping that in mind, he offered a polite answer. “Nothing. You may leave whenever you wish.”

His words were sincerely kind-hearted in a way that made Chara somewhat uncomfortable. Why were these monsters so friendly to those they barely knew? It was all very confusing.

* * *

During all this, the prince could barely contain himself. A human had somehow found their way into the underground. He had always wondered what they were like. Pestering a certain scientist constantly for information only yielded so much. For someone who supposedly knew so much about humans, he wasn’t very good at passing that knowledge on. Now he had a chance to talk to a real human. His dad told him to be patient and not overwhelm them. He obeyed, watching quietly as his father spoke to the human. They looked kind of tired, he thought. Maybe they hadn’t slept in a while? It seemed kind of rude to just ask about it.

At some point, Asriel’s thoughts trailed off and returned to that game he had recently acquired. He was very surprised to see that someone actually had got their hands on some real human video games. They were in pretty fine condition as well. That didn’t happen often. Most of his collection was stuff made by other monsters. The human-made games tended to be prized and were usually gone pretty quickly. Asriel made sure to tell his parents about it as soon as possible. His dad tagged along because he loved showing off the games to him. The king generally wasn’t very knowledgeable about the topic, but enjoyed his son’s enthusiasm. The new game in question was some kind of party game. His main reason for getting it was that everyone could play together. The gameplay seemed simple enough to were even his parents could play despite their lack of video game experience. It wasn’t exactly his favorite genre, but being able to involve everybody would make it more than worthwhile. The four player limit was a hindrance for now, but he imagined the royal scientist could fix that. She had modified games with her magic before.

He is soon ripped away from his thoughts about the game by his mother’s voice. “This is Asriel, our son. You have already met me.”

For a second, he mistakenly thought he was being given permission to speak to them. Unfortunately, she was just pointing out his presence.

“If you truly have nowhere else to go, we would be glad to have you. It is no issue.”

Wait. The human was staying here? Or rather, they might stay here. He must have missed that part of the discussion. He eagerly awaited their reply. The wait was way too long in his estimation. They remained silent for what seemed an eternity. The human must have been really thinking this over for some reason. Eventually, their deliberations finally reached a conclusion of sorts.

“I don’t know.”

That wasn’t exactly the decisive answer he had expected.

“That is fine. We will do our best to help you in whatever you choose.” His mother said in an attempt to ease their concerns.

He wasn’t sure it was working though. They still seemed to be in a state of unease. He didn’t know why exactly, but he was pretty sure that was the case.

“For now, you may stay here with us. We will need to get a few things first.” Dad added.

Mom followed this up with more words of her own. “Yes. A bed for you to sleep in would be an excellent start.”

So they were staying for at least a little while. That was good news for all those questions he had.

It wasn’t long before his parents made the arrangements for what become the humans bed. It was going to be placed in his room. He can’t say he was overly fond of this idea despite his curiosity regarding the human. However, it was the only place that made sense in their fairly modestly sized home. A group of monsters came over to deliver a newly crafted bed which had been made specifically for the human. This all happened within the same day. He had heard that humans sometimes took longer to make things without the aid of machines due to their lack of magic. In the underground, many items could be made almost instantly if the one crafting it was skilled enough in the relevant magic and had the proper materials. It could be quite draining for a single individual though, so it was often done at a safer pace. The monster crew rearranged his room a bit to make space for the new object. Thankfully, they mostly avoided messing with his stuff. That would have been annoying.

Afterwards, he invited the human and his parents to play the new party game. Chara declined the offer, but Papyrus was happy to substitute for them instead. It was disappointing, but he accepted it. Undyne watched the game for a bit, but ultimately left now that she had little reason to stay. Papyrus won the game, seeming to have bizarrely good luck that helped a lot in something so chance-based. During the entire time they played, the human remained in the living room. They seemed unwilling to join them even to watch. Instead, they just quietly kept using their phone. He wasn’t sure what exactly they were doing on it, but he thought it would have been rude to ask. After all, they really did seem to value being alone. Bothering them would be an imposition on that. Of course, he was considering doing it anyway regardless of consequence. Waiting so long to speak to them was tormenting him. If it took too much longer, he would probably just decide to introduce himself. It is not like it will hurt them.

After the conclusion of the time spent on the party game, Papyrus choose to return home. Once he was gone, Asriel’s parents began preparations to cook dinner. Truth be told though, all his father really supplied to the effort was some tea this time. Mom began to work diligently to make a special meal for their new human guest. It certainly smelled far better than the typical ones, not that the usual stuff was terrible or anything. He helped her out on occasion if allowed or requested.

“Where is Chara? I want to ask them something.” She asked as he was getting some ingredients for her.

That was a good question. He was so distracted by food-related matters that he never noticed them leave their spot at the table.

“I’ll get them.” He said before beginning to investigate regarding their whereabouts.

His first stop in performing this task was the room that was shared between them at the moment. The initial instinct to search there turned out to be the correct one. He found that they were sleeping in their new bed. It was rather confusing to him. Why would they go to bed so early and also miss out on perfectly good food? When he returned to report this to his mother, she was equally confused. She made a note to save leftovers for the human to simply eat later. Following this strange incident, the boss monsters ate the meal together without Chara. His parents were disappointed and a little worried that the human did not join them. They talked about it briefly before moving on to other topics. The finale of said meal was the butterscotch-cinnamon pie. It was devoured quickly aside from the lone piece left for Chara. Now that he had eaten, there was little left to do for the day. His hopes of talking to the human were tragically dashed. Now only having boredom to accompany him, he decided to follow in their footsteps. He walked to his room, taking a quick glance at them. Unsurprisingly, they were still asleep. Getting into his own bed, he laid down to rest. Soon enough, he drifted into unconsciousness as well.

* * *

Chara awoke after spending about twelve or more hours in bed. They had awoken once before, but decided to return to slumber after remembering the current situation. Finally getting out of bed, they notice that the younger monster is gone. He must have got up before them. They didn’t even bother checking the time, it hardly mattered. Against their better judgment, they walked into the hallway to find out what might have happened in their absence. The Dreemurrs all were present in the living room once they wandered into it.

Asriel was talking to Toriel and Asgore about something. “We should get a TV in here. My room is the only room that has one. It’s too small for us all at once.”

His parents were receptive to the idea. Toriel voices this first. “I suppose you are right. Movie night in your room can be rather...packed with Undyne and Papyrus involved.”

Asgore follows this up with an anecdote of his own. “Yes. I remember when we accidentally released one of your larger pokemon. It was disastrous.”

Asriel betrays some amusement at the memory summoned by the larger monsters statement. “At least we got the wall fixed easily.” He says, then suddenly realizes that the human has presumably been present for some time. The others also notice them immediately afterward.

Asgore speaks up first. “Ah, Chara. We were wondering when you’d awaken. You missed dinner, but don’t worry about that. For now, you should get breakfast. I’m sure you’re quite hungry after all this time.” He adopted a friendly tone throughout his address to them.

Just like before, it didn’t set right with them. Chara brushed off the feeling though, they had actually become pretty hungry.

“What did you make?” They asked cautiously.

No point in starving themself, but they were still wary.

“Just some simple pancakes. Asgore tried to put a smiley face on them, but it did not turn out well.” Toriel answered with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

Asgore merely shrugged his shoulders in response. Chara found the offering to be acceptable. They had worried it might be something they didn’t like. After all, how would these people react to a refusal of the food? They had a tangible excuse for not eating the previous night, but this might have been different.

“That’s fine.” Chara said in acknowledgment.

Toriel then proceeded to direct them. “You can find them on the kitchen counter. We have already eaten, but I made sure there was enough left for you. I can warm them up if you wish.”

Their reaction was swift. “No. It’s fine.”

She accepted that. Chara then moved on to the kitchen to acquire the food. They grabbed two of the three available pancakes, placing them onto the provided plate. There were utensils and a bottle of syrup present, but they ignored those things. Choosing to instead merely eat the plain, cold pancakes with their bare hands. They did so while sitting at the same place they had the previous day. The monster family continued to chat together during this solo meal. They were glad to not be bothered.

Finished with breakfast, Chara returns briefly to the kitchen. While there, they rinse off the plate before returning it to the place it had occupied before. They weren’t exactly sure where it was meant to go, so they figured that was the next best thing. After this, they move back to the living room. While they are standing and thinking about what to do next, Asriel approaches them with a pokeball in his hand.

“Hey. Want to see something?”

The question hangs in the air for a moment before Chara answers it with another one. “What?”

This unenthusiastic response in met with a completely opposite one from Asriel. “My pokemon! I’ve got a full team. I’ll only bring out one for now though.”

The human continues to speak in the same way. “Okay.”

Asriel remembers to state an additional caveat. “We’ll need to go outside. My parents don’t like me using pokemon moves in the house.”

That seemed obvious to Chara, but they did not comment on it.

“Thank you for not forgetting that. ‘Flamethrower’ is not the same as fire magic.” Toriel added.

Having mostly ignored the comment, Asriel walked toward the door. He held it open for Chara once reaching it. They followed along and exited the house with him. Standing with Chara beside the tree in front of the house, he dramatically tosses the pokeball he had been holding. It bursts open mid-air, a bright light begins to manifest and reveal the pokemon within. The device summons a Luxray which lands on the ground, adopting a proud posture. It roars to accentuate the moment further, clearly having been taught this by its trainer.

“Use swift!” The boss monster commands.

The luxray is quick to obey, firing a spread of star-shaped projectiles at the wall. They impact, leaving no marks upon it and barely making much of a sound.

“What do you think?!” Asriel ask excitedly.

Chara still was not particularly moved, but the display was alright. They attempt to humor him with a reply.

“It was cool.” Their tone hadn’t really shifted, but it was a genuine enough response.

“Thanks. I’ve been working on dramatic stunts for my pokemon after watching one of Mettaton’s show with Papyrus. He always put a lot of dramatic flair into his battles.” Asriel explained.

It seemed the underground had television programs. The notion made perfect sense, but they hadn’t heard about them until now. Maybe there were some interesting things to watch if they were lucky.

Picking up the pokeball off the ground, Asriel gave the Luxray a pat on the head before recalling the pokemon to it.

“I’ll show you the others later. I hope we can battle if you ever get any pokemon.”

Chara found the monsters words to be a bit presumptuous given that they never promised to stay. However, they were fine with letting him continue to think that. Now that he had shown off that particular pokemon, the two walked back inside the house. His parents had not moved from their earlier locations, but their conversation had shifted to different topics. Neither teen really cared about what they were saying and went to the shared bedroom. Sitting down on their individual beds, Asriel proposed they use the video game console.

“Want to play a game with me? I’ve got human and monster ones.”

Chara knew they would take too long to decide on a game anyway, instead choosing to decline the offer.

“I’ll just watch whatever you play.”

His face could easily be seen to shift into a mild frown. That was not the answer he hoped to get.

Resigning himself to this fate, he looked through his selection for a game to play. It was not long before he had made a decision. His choice was firmly in the ‘hack and slash’ genre. The game involved angels and demons fighting each other while the player was some kind of magically gifted human. The choice of protagonist made it obvious this was a human-made game. Chara imagined that most monster games appropriately had monsters as the characters in large part. Asriel almost seemed to forget they were there at times, but would occasionally comment about game mechanics and story elements. It was nothing too great in Chara’s eye, but the character design was very neat. Both the angels and demons had largely inhuman features, which they appreciated from an aesthetic standpoint. Asriel seemed to lean more heavily toward the angels in his favoritism. He repeatedly mentioned how cool there apparently were after all. He eventually grew bored of the game after a few levels, then quit. Turning off the system, he grabbed a phone sitting near the bed. It was evidently his, but they had just not seen him use it yet.

“Oh. We should go eat lunch.” He said, showing the time displayed on his phone screen.

It was around one o’clock in the afternoon. They had spent a few hours doing this. With that, they both make their way into the living room.

Upon their entrance into the room, the two see Toriel in her chair. She is reading a snail related book, but stops to look up at them when they enter.

“Have you been playing games this whole time?” She asks, more out of a lack of understanding than any irritation or disappointment.

“Just me. I was showing Chara one of my games.” Asriel answered.

This explanation generates a positive reaction from Toriel.

“Glad to see that you two are getting along.” She says with genuine pride before turning her attention back to the book.

Chara wonders yet again why these monsters seem so invested in them. They suppose there is nothing they can do to help it. Following that moment, Asgore entered the room. It must have been via whatever room was beyond that staircase, Chara guessed. He had not entered through the door like they did before, so that couldn’t have been it.

“I’ve finished tending to the garden.” He announced.

There was a garden? That was probably some of the best news Chara had heard since their arrival. They had to stop themself from openly revealing the excitement gained from it. Forcing their body to remain still, they managed to contain the outburst.

“We didn’t get any lunch yet. That’s why we came in here.” Asriel proclaimed in a subtlety expectant manner.

“I guess all three of us were distracted by hobbies in that case.” Asgore said with short chuckle tacked on the end.

“Have you eaten yet, Tori?” He asked.

“Yes. I don’t need you to make me anything.” She answered without looking up from her reading.

“Would you two like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich then?” The king addressed the duo in query.

Asriels answer was immediate. “Yep. That sounds good.”

Chara was more hesitant to do so. “No. I have something in my backpack.”

They didn’t feel like eating the sandwich rather truly disliking it. They figured this was a good enough compromise, ignoring the fact that they could just ask for something else. Asgore found nothing wrong with the idea though.

“As long as you don’t forget to eat, that is fine. Would like some potato chips with that?” He added, realizing that it would be a good idea to clarify that.

“Sure.” The human replied.

Now finished with the exchange of question and answers, each of them got ready to eat. Asgore made the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Chara grabbed a few granola bars from their pack, and Asriel waited in the living room. While seated at the table with their prepared lunches, the two present boss monster glance at the unconventional granola bar meal. Neither comment on it though. They sit all in silence as they eat, unable to find anything worth discussion. Once finished, Chara voices a question that had entered their mind earlier.

“Where is the garden?” They said to Asgore.

He seems surprised at their interest. “Did you want to see it? I can never get Asriel to care.”

The young monster responds defensively. “It’s just flowers. I don’t have time to take care of them.” He said as though frequently occupied with important business.

Asgore laughs at this. “Okay, Asriel. Still, I’m glad to see someone else appreciates them.”

The large monster steps out of the seat to clean things up now that the food has been consumed. Chara discards the packaging of the bars in the trash. Everything in order, Asgore speaks to them.

“Would you like to go there? To visit the garden?” He asked, awaiting an answer.

“Of course.” They said with a high degree of certainty.

The two of them exit the room, moving toward the staircase in the middle of the home. Walking down its steps, they soon arrive at the bottom. From there, a long hallway stretches ahead. They walk through it, encountering even more similar passageways along the way. Right before reaching the throne room where the garden is kept, they enter a room unlike what the human had expected. It was a long corridor lined with large pillars. There were also beautiful stained glass windows emblazoned with the same mysterious symbol present on Toriel’s robes. Light appeared to shine through them.

“What does that symbol mean?” They ask the one accompanying them.

“That is the Delta Rune of ancient legend. It is the heraldic symbol of the royal family.” He stated confidently. “There is a story surrounding it that I can tell you later. For now, let us simply visit my garden.” He added.

It was good enough for them. They had no issue waiting on further details to this supposed story. They both continue on, entering the throne room. Two chairs sat in the middle of the room. One for the queen and one for the king. Aside from the twin thrones, there were multiple windows on the ceiling through which light poured in. It was a design well-suited to the flowers that bordered most of the room. They had been planted near the walls, leaving just enough space to house the thrones. A large variety were present with many colors filling the room. It was better than they could have imagined. They wanted to try and identify each species in the room. Maybe they could get him to plant even more, they thought. That thought was undercut by the realization that they hadn’t intended to even stay here. Somehow, the concept had still infected their mind.

“Wonderful, isn’t it?” Asgore proclaimed aloud.

It was. That is what made this so horrible. They sighed deeply, giving in to the creeping notion. All this kindness had worn them down.

“I want to stay here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope my Asriel POV thing was a success. I'm still having trouble with perspective changes. Papyrus was an experiment in a separate POV, but this was quite a bit more distinct.
> 
> Also, very important to note that there will be a timeskip at the beginning of the next chapter. It would take us too long to get anywhere without one. That way, I will avoid potentially rushing this introductory stuff by just skipping it instead. These first two chapters were just meant to kind of establish things. The plot really begins in chapter three post-timeskip. 
> 
> [I'm going to use this end note section to lay out the comment rules.]
> 
> 1\. Refer to characters by canon pronouns. (This means you only use they/them on Chara for example.)  
> 2\. Don't complain that I don't follow the evil Chara theory or other similar obnoxiously pervasive fandom ideas.  
> 3\. Be polite. I'm not going to tolerate assholes.
> 
> [I might add more if I see a need for it.]


End file.
